OERs
OERs are freely accessible, openly licensed educational materials that can be used, adapted, and shared to meet diverse teaching and learning needs. OERs include a wide range of resources such as textbooks, course modules, syllabi, lecture notes, assignments, tests, projects, audio, video, and software. The use of OERs is designed to reduce costs for students, increase access to quality educational materials, and promote innovative and flexible teaching practices.
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HIPs
HIPs are a set of educational practices that have been shown through research to significantly improve student learning, engagement, and retention, particularly for underserved student populations. These practices are characterized by active learning, frequent feedback, real-world application, and the development of essential skills such as critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. HIPs are designed to be transformative experiences that deeply engage students in their own learning processes.
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Award Recipients
OER Grant Recipients
The following recipients of the Thrive@Catawba OER Grant Program will implement innovative Open Educational Resources (OER) to enhance student learning and access to high-quality materials. Their projects will help expand affordable, accessible resources across various disciplines, positively impacting our students’ academic experiences.
Dr. Diana Riser (Psychology)
Proposal: Adopt and integrate a package of OER resources across all PSYC 1500 sections.
Dr. Connie Rogers Lowry (Biology)
Proposal: Curate “Biology Bytes,” an OER resource for Introductory and General Education Biology courses.
Dr. Donna James (Teacher Education)
Proposal: Integrate OER into the online Birth-Kindergarten Degree Program.
Dr. Joanna Trammell (Business, Economics, & Society)
Proposal: Utilize an OER resource to complement MGT2451, Legal Environment of Business.
HIP Grant Recipients
The Thrive@Catawba High-Impact Practices (HIPs) Grants award recipients are a testament to the creativity, dedication, and commitment of our faculty and staff to enhancing student learning, engagement, and success. The outstanding projects below have been fully funded, representing a wide range of impactful initiatives. Please note, that many of these proposals are collaborative and reflect the work of several colleagues:
Katherine Baker and colleagues
Collaboration Lab for AI, Robotics, Cybersecurity, and Analytics Projects (CLARCAP)
Amanda Bosch and members of the Instructional Support Committee
Interactive Learning with Kahoot for Enhanced Student Engagement and Outcomes
Suzanne Bowser and the Exercise Science Program
High School Combine Event for Rowan County Student Athletes
Sheila Brownlow
High-Impact Practices in Undergraduate Psychology Research
Gerard Deleoz and colleagues
Enhancing Student Engagement in Programming and Robotics with Finch Robots
Jeremiah Nelson
Incorporating High-Impact Practices into Online Courses
Additionally, the following recipients were awarded partially funded projects, which reflect innovative approaches to fostering student growth and exploration:
Sheila Brownlow on behalf of the First Year Experience
First-Gen First-Year Seminar for Building Social and Cultural Capital
Jim Hand and colleagues
Supporting Health Sciences and Human Performance through High-Impact Practices
Constance Rogers Lowery
Program Development - Marine Biology in Jamaica
Maria Vandergriff Avery and Brenn Ferguson
International Travel Course for Women’s Volleyball Team
Joe Poston and colleagues
Integrating Dreamscape Learn VR Modules into Introductory Science Courses
